The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-01
BIxBY's ABsENT-MINDEDNEss
BY NLEN F.. SWEET.

It was no wonder that many Brook lyn people thought Sam BiXby drank. Some of his doings were so eccentric that his friends would have been jus titied in reminding him that wine was a mockery. He acted for all the world as if he was going to have gilt edged attack of deliriom tremenS. Why, he actually made his appearance one day on the str, cts of the city wearing a flower bcspangled slipper on one foot and a square toed shoe on the other. He behaved so queer at times that well-meaning cranks showed temper ance tracts into his coat tail pocket, and yet there were no more stimulants in Sam than in ten gallons ofboarding- house coffee,
 He was absent minded ; that was all. Whencvsr he had anything on his mind, he thought of nothing else. At such times his train of thought did not make connection with his mouth on time, for, while Sam was talking about one thing he was thinking about another.
 For instance, his friends often inn agined that he snubbed them inten- tionally. He would pass them on the sidewalk, gaze drcamily into their faces, and not return their greeting until they were out of sight.
 He passed Judge Jones one day, and, after the judge was out of sight, and as mad as wet hen, Sam took off his hat to an old negro washer woman with basket of clothes, and said, grinning like demented chimpanzee ::
 'Good morning, Judge Jones how arc your wife and family coming on?"
 Sam has been taking a deep interest in politics, and he seems to think of nothing else. About week ago he was at home sitting at the table, sip ping cup of coffee, smoking cigar, and reading a newspaper.
 "Sam," said Mrs. Bixby, "don't you think we ought to invite our friends to a party"
 All the friends of genuine reform should be invited to join the party. We should endeavor to consolidate all the dissatisfied clements"
 "Sam Bixby, what are you talking about? I said we ought to have a party and invite"
 "We have got the party already. The Democratic party is the party"
 Mrs. Bixby fixed her glittering eye on Sam, but she might as well have fixed it on something else.
 Sam Bixby"
 "Hey?"
 ''What are you talking about?"
 We were talking about politics, weren't we? You said something about the party" and Sam looked silly, and gently stirred up his coffee with his cigar, and took puff or so at the spoon which he had placed in his mouth for that purpose.
 You wretched idiot! what have you got that spoon in your mouth for?"
 Sam, looking more shcepish than ever, and placing the cigar carefully in the saucer, threw the spoon out of the window.
 "Gracious heavens, intellectually, that man is busted from way back. If he only had a cheap, second hand, ten- cent throne, his fractured reason would be sure to totter and wobble all over it. He has got more mental in- capacity to the square inch than a poodle alderman. What will become of us? There is no use talking to that man about giving dinner party" said Mrs. Bixby, and she dropped the subject.
 Next day was Sam's birthday, and Mirandy Chats her name) reminded him of it. He deliberately sat down at his writing desk and wrote letter to himself, congratulating himself on the happy event. He put it in the mail, and, when it was delivered at his house, he opened it, read it, and showed it to his wife, saying:
 "See here, Mirandy, here is letter from my lifelong friend Sam Bixby, congratulating me on my birthday. He hasn't forgotten us, has he?"
 Mrs. Bixby was in despair. It was evident that her husbands mind was not as clear and shining as it had been, and she began to think seriously of consulting doctor.
 They had been invited that evening to attend social gathering at the mansion of Judge Smythe, and they went. Just before they went, Sam said to his wife:
 'If get one of those absent-minded spells, just you call my attention to it, and perhaps you can break me of it. It is very disagreeable to me to be mistaking one person for another, and saying things that l should not,ns